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Williams-Jordan Wedding

Perhaps there is something intimidating about writing your own thoughts. Sometimes those creative juices flow, but usually I sit down thinking I need to write something and nothing is really there. I find life fascinating so I know it is not because nothing is happening around me or in my own life. I write in my journal every night, for the most part, and do not feel like rehashing the same stories. My journals will be available to my family and others probably for a long time to come. However, I do have hundreds of photographs that I think I have learned some stories on which probably are not recorded.

Therefore, as a hope of continuing family history by preserving the stories with some of these photos, I start my new goal. To start posting pictures with my thoughts, perspective, musing, and whatever else I might feel to include. So, here we go. A sort of a picture is worth a thousand words expose. I think part of me hopes I might find further clarification and other answers for the unknown bits of the stories I might present. Please feel free to share.

Here is a portrait of David D Williams and Gwenllian Jordan. I do not know what the D stands for. Still hoping I will find that out at some point.

David was born 12 November 1832 in Pembrey, Carmarthenshire, Wales to John Williams and Frances Henneys. His father was a Collier (coal miner). On the 1841 Census, John is then listed as a farmer in Pembrey. David joined the LDS church 12 July 1849. His father joined in 1851, and siblings John in 1837, Joseph in 1853, and Richard in 1855. John Haines moved to Pennsylvania in 1855.

In 1864, David immigrated through Liverpool and New York to America. He met Gwenllian Jordan in Liverpool, probably with the other Saints waiting to immigrate to the Zion. They embarked on the “General McClellan” on 21 May 1864 with a shipload of Mormon converts. The two married on the ship 22 May 1864. David and Gwenllian married while the ship was still in the Bramley-Moore dock of Liverpool Harbour. Gwenllian’s sister, Mary Jordan, was also on the boat and married William Evans the same day on the River Mersey as they left Liverpool. Thomas Jeremy, the presiding Elder on the ship married both couples. These four disembarked together at Castle Gardens, New York (both Gwenllian and Mary using the Jordan name) on 23 June 1864. I do not know if any other siblings of either David or Gwenllian were on the ship. None of the others on the ship appear related.

The company of Saints from the ship were met by Joseph and Brigham Young Jr, sons of Brigham Young. They then took the “”St. John” to Albany. From there they took a train to Rochester, St. Joseph, and then Chicago where Parley P Pratt Jr met them. From Chicago they took the “West Wind” to Wyoming, Nebraska Territory. There a wagon train awaited and provided transportation to Utah. The train arrived on 4 October 1864 (depending on which wagon train they traveled).

Gwenlliam was born 2 August 1842 in Merthyr-Tydfil, Glamorganshire, Wales to Margret Watkins and David Jordan. She joined the LDS church on New Years Day (in probably cold baptismal waters) in 1851. Her parents joined a few years before and I don’t know if any of her other siblings besides Mary joined the LDS church. I believe Thomas did. Her parents immigrated to Utah in 1872.

I am guessing the photograph of David and Gwenllian was taken while they were in the 40’s. That is, of course, assuming the photograph is really of them. This is a photograph in my Great Great Grandmother’s, Mary Elizabeth Williams, possessions. She was the third child of David and Gwenllian so I have little reason to suspect the authenticity of the people in the photograph. The photo was probably taken in Ogden since they settled and remained there the rest of their lives.

David and Gwenllian had 10 children, 5 who lived to adulthood. I list the children below. David worked as a farmer. He passed away while sitting in his chair 27 November 1911 in Ogden. Nobody was around when he passed but it seems to have been peaceful. He had suffered from some heart problems and senility that came with his age. Gwenllian apparently died in Slaterville from what her death certificate indicates as paralysis of the brain.

The 1870, 1880, and 1910 Censuses have David and Gwenllian in Ogden. The 1900 has the family in Slaterville which is where Gwenllian passed away.

I really do not know anything more about the lives of David and Gwenllian. If you have anything more, please share.

The five who died as children are as follows:

David Moiah Williams – 15 August 1866 – 15 January 1867 both in Ogden.

Margaret Ann Williams – 22 June 1867 – 4 March 1868 both in Ogden.

Sarah Jane Williams – 4 June 1874 – 4 January 1880 both in Ogden.

Katherine Williams – 15 June 1876 – 22 July 1877 both in Ogden.

Rosa Bell Williams – 15 June 1878 – 15 September 1879 both in Ogden.

The children who lived to adulthood are as follows:

Mary Elizabeth Williams – 7 April 1869 – 29 Mar 1951 both in Ogden. Married William Scott Donaldson (Link to their marriage post here: Donaldson-Williams Wedding). Five years after his death, she married Anthon Edward Peterson. Three years after his death, she married Thomas William Stoker. This is my Great Great Grandmother.

John Haines Williams – 14 May 1871 – 29 October 1954 both in Ogden. Married Bernice Cowan. He married a Charlotte and Pamela, but I do not know if the information I have is correct so I will not include it.

Joseph Williams – 10 March 1880 in Slaterville – 25 October 1960 in Ogden. He married Charlotte Dinsdale.

Louisa May Williams – 16 October 1881 in Slaterville – 1 February 1960 in Ogden. She married Louis Jackson. Twenty-five years after his death, she married Thomas Wilson Laymon.

Thomas Hyrum Williams – 1 July 1885 in Slaterville – 21 May 1967 in Ogden. He married Ethel Peterson. Five years after her death, he married Erma Amanda Carlisle.

8 thoughts on “Williams-Jordan Wedding”

Hi, Thanks for the blog. I am a descendant of David D and Gwenlliam Jordan Williams through William Scott Donaldson and Mary Elizabeth Williams; William George Donaldson and Mary Thomas Peterson; and Gordon Elmer Douglass and Kathleen Marie Donaldson. making them my 2nd great-grandparents. I remember my great grandmother Mary Elizabeth, when I was a small child. She passed just before I turned 7, in 1951. Also, a note of interest, my grandmother’s sister, Ethel Peterson was married to Thomas Hyrum Williams, Mary Elizabeth’s brother, making my grandfather, William George Donaldson both the nephew and the brother in law of Thomas Hyrum Williams. I remember Hy and Ethel from my childhood, also.